ERA15LA202

The private pilot/owner reported that an air traffic controller vectored the airplane for the final approach for landing after the cross-country flight. The pilot noted that he performed the Before Landing checklist by rote and inadvertently positioned the flap handle believing that it was the landing gear handle. He added that he heard an electric motor actuate and that the airplane's speed and handling responded in a familiar fashion, so he continued the landing approach. The airplane subsequently landed with the landing gear retracted, which resulted in substantial damage to the airplane. The pilot reported that he did not confirm that the three green landing gear lights on the instrument panel had illuminated before landing but that the landing gear warning horn did not sound. The pilot also reported that there were no mechanical anomalies with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. After recovery, the airplane was placed on jacks, and the landing gear was extended and retracted with no anomalies noted. The airplane was then configured for landing, and the throttles were reduced to the idle-power position. Once configured, the landing gear warning horn did not sound as prescribed. Troubleshooting of the gear warning horn could not be performed; therefore, the cause of the horn malfunction could not be determined. The pilot reported that he experienced lengthy delays earlier in his trip, which lengthened his duty day and resulted in fatigue. The pilot stated that fatigue, distractions, and complacency could have been mitigated by a "strict adherence to the checklist and visual verification of gear status."

On April 23, 2015, at 1616 eastern daylight time, a Beech D95A, N8950U, was substantially damaged while landing with the landing gear retracted at Jacksonville Executive Airport at Craig Field (CRG), Jacksonville, Florida. The private pilot/owner was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and an instrument flight rules flight plan was filed for the flight that departed Boone County Airport (HRO), Harrison, Arkansas. The personal flight was conducted under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. In a telephone conversation, the pilot said that air traffic control vectored the airplane for the final approach to Runway 14. He said he performed the before-landing or "GUMP" check by rote and inadvertently positioned the flap handle when he believed it was the landing gear handle. The pilot heard an electric motor actuate, and the airplane's speed and handling responded in familiar fashion, so he continued the landing approach to touchdown. He explained that he did not confirm three, illuminated, green, landing-gear lights on the instrument panel prior to landing. He subsequently reported to the air traffic controller, first responders, and to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector that he had inadvertently lowered the flap handle instead of the gear handle, but that the gear warning horn did not sound. The pilot held a private pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single engine land, airplane multiengine land, and instrument airplane. His most recent FAA second class medical certificate was issued October 10, 2014. The pilot reported 864 total hours of flight experience, of which 199 hours were in the accident airplane make and model. The airplane was manufactured in 1965, and according to the pilot/owner, its most recent annual inspection was completed in February 2015, about 4,301 total aircraft hours. The airplane was recovered to a maintenance facility on CRG where it was placed on jacks. The landing gear was extended and retracted with no anomalies noted. The airplane was then configured for landing, and the throttles reduced to the idle-power position. Once configured, the gear warning horn did not sound as prescribed. Troubleshooting of the gear warning horn could not be performed, and therefore the cause of the horn malfunction was not determined. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation of the airplane. He further reported that he experienced lengthy delays earlier in his trip which lengthened his duty day resulting in fatigue. The pilot offered that fatigue, combined with other distractors as well as complacency, could have been mitigated by a "strict adherence to the checklist and visual verification of gear status."